Les nombres et le calcul
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Learn the French numbers and how to count from 0 to 59.
French Numbers: 0-19
The numbers 0 to 19 are pretty easy in French; you just need to memorize them like any other vocabulary:
0 | zéro | 10 | dix | |
1 | un, une | 11 | onze | |
2 | deux | 12 | douze | |
3 | trois | 13 | treize | |
4 | quatre | 14 | quatorze | |
5 | cinq | 15 | quinze | |
6 | six | 16 | seize | |
7 | sept | 17 | dix-sept | |
8 | huit | 18 | dix-huit | |
9 | neuf | 19 | dix-neuf |
You’ll notice that the consonants at the end of cinq and huit are pronounced. However, this is only true when the numbers stand alone (as in the sound files), precede a vowel or h muet, or are at the end of a sentence. When either of these numbers is followed by a consonant, that final sound is dropped.
Par exemple…
cinq étudiants | five students | q is pronounced [k] |
J’en ai cinq. | I have five of them. | q is pronounced [k] |
cinq professeurs | five teachers | q is silent |
Six and dix offer further complications.
- The x is pronounced [s] when they stand alone or are at the end of a sentence.
- In front of a vowel, the pronunciation changes to [z] due to the required required liaison.
- It’s silent when followed by a consonant
Par exemple…
J’en ai six. | I have six of them. | x is pronounced [s] |
six étudiants | six students | x is pronounced [z] |
six professeurs | six teachers | x is silent |
Get used to French numbers with these listen-and-repeat exercises, as well as random number files to test your comprehension:
Using French numbers
Lessons that rely on your understanding of French numbers:
French expressions with numbers
- à la une – on the front page of the newspaper, headline news
- le cinq à sept – afternoon tryst
- chercher midi à 14 heures
- couper les cheveux en quatre – to split hairs, quibble
- en deux temps, trois mouvements – in double time, very quickly
- faire d’une pierre deux coups – to kill two birds with one stone
- haut comme trois pommes – very young
- il ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard – he’s nothing special
- quatre à quatre – very quickly
- tourner sept fois sa langue dans sa bouche – to think long and hard (before speaking)
- un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras – a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
- le vendredi treize – Friday the 13th
- un de ces quatre (matins) – one of these days
French Numbers: 20-59
The French numbers 20 through 59 are formed just like their English equivalents: the tens word (vingt, trente, quarante, cinquante) is joined by a hyphen to the ones word (un, deux, trois, etc).
20 | vingt | 30 | trente | |
21 | vingt et un | 31 | trente et un | |
22 | vingt-deux | 32 | trente-deux | |
23 | vingt-trois | 33 | trente-trois | |
24 | vingt-quatre | 34 | trente-quatre | |
25 | vingt-cinq | 35 | trente-cinq | |
26 | vingt-six | 36 | trente-six | |
27 | vingt-sept | 37 | trente-sept | |
28 | vingt-huit | 38 | trente-huit | |
29 | vingt-neuf | 39 | trente-neuf | |
40 | quarante | 50 | cinquante | |
41 | quarante et un | 51 | cinquante et un | |
42 | quarante-deux | 52 | cinquante-deux | |
43 | quarante-trois | 53 | cinquante-trois | |
44 | quarante-quatre | 54 | cinquante-quatre | |
45 | quarante-cinq | 55 | cinquante-cinq | |
46 | quarante-six | 56 | cinquante-six | |
47 | quarante-sept | 57 | cinquante-sept | |
48 | quarante-huit | 58 | cinquante-huit | |
49 | quarante-neuf | 59 | cinquante-neuf |
Using French numbers
Expressions with French numbers
- 24 heures sur 24 – 24 hours a day
- se mettre sur son trente et un – to get dressed to the nines
- tous les trente-six du mois – once in a blue moon
French lesson plans
- Color by numbers (Worksheet, 3rd-5th grade)
- Count on me (Worksheet, 1st-5th grade)
- Counting numbers (Worksheet, 1st-3rd grade)
- French numbers printable (Worksheet, 4th-12th grade)
- Learn your numbers (Worksheet, 1st-2nd grade)
- 60 to 99 | 100 and up
- Approximate numbers
- Fractions
- Multiplicative numbers
- Number practice
- Number troubles
- Ordinal numbers
- Roman numerals
French for beginners
Self-study checklist with lessons, quizzes, and comprehension exercises.
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